Garment hanger



E. \W., ,KNUTH GARMENT HANGER April 28,1959

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1957 ATTO April 28, 9 E. w. KNUTTH2,884,171" GARMENT HANGER Filed Nay l0, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 2 1N VENTOR[age/2e /14 (2701/2.

United States Patent GARMENT HANGER Eugene W. Knuth, Land OLakes, Wis.

Application May 10, 1957, Serial No. 658,266

Claims. ('Cl. 223-98) This invention relates to improvements in garmenthangers and more particularly for a form attachment adapted to beapplied to a garment hanger and especially to such an attachment adaptedto be applied to the usual wire coat hanger.

An object of this invention is the provision of an appliance of thischaracter'adapted for attachment to an ordinary wire coat hanger toembrace the shoulder engaging portions and to improve the drape of agarment being supported by the hanger.

of a form attachment adapted to be frictionally applied to a wire coathanger and to be retained thereon without turning or rotating inrelationto the wire of the hanger in use. i

' A further object of this invention is the provision of a formattachment for a wire coat hanger which may be economically manufacturedso as to be used as a give-away item.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a two partform attachment for a wire coat hanger which may be bulk packed andshipped unassembled and which may be readily set up and/or assembled bythe userand applied to a hanger for the better shaping and support ofgarments.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a readilyattachable form for use with a wire coat hanger to prevent creasing ofthe shoulder portions of a garment by the wire of the coat hanger whenthe garment is supported thereby.

The above and other objects will appear when considering the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings forming a partthereof, and wherein like characters of reference indicate like partsthroughout the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a preferred form of my shoulder formattachment for wire coat hangers;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in inverted position] v Fig. 3is an end view looking to the left in Fig. '1;

Fig. 4 ,is a side elevational view of a wire coat hanger having a pairof my shoulder form'attachments'thereon, 2

one of them being shown in an optional outermost extended position, indashed lines;

' Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view' taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4looking in the direction of the arrows -and'- showing-thefrictionalengagement between the porparent from these figures.

tions of the shoulder pad attachment and wire of the coat hanger;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of myinvention showing the wire engaging parts thereof also made ofreenforced paperboard;

Fig. 7 is an end view looking to the left in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the modified form of shoulder pieceof Fig. 6, in inverted position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wire coat hangerhaving my shoulder form attachment of Figs. 6-8 mounted thereon;

Fig. 10 is abottom view of a second modification of my shoulder formattachment having the parts thereof in assembled position for use andshowing in dot and dashed lines that the base flanges of the wireengaging fins slidably engage beneath the plies of the reenforcedpaperboard;

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the shoulder form attachment ofFig. 10 in inverted position;

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10,looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the resilient sheet material insert stripof Figs. 10-1l and 12 as it would appear, disassembled from thismodifiedshoulder form of reenforced paperboard or plastic or acombination of the two.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, the wire coat hanger shoulder formattachment 20 comprises an elongated body portion 22 of any materialsuch as plastic or wood and a pair of integral distal fins 24, 26separated by an axial slot 28. The slot 28 is of a Width slightly lessthan that of the wire of the coat hanger so as to grip, with inherentresilience, the inclined side wire arm 30 of the coat hanger 32. Theslot 28 is preferably slightly tapered from end to end thereof as shownby the dotdash lines in Fig. 1. 1

The fins 24, 26 extend substantially normal to the base along thelongitudinal axis of the body 22, wholly within the confines of thebase, and terminate short of one end thereof. These fins 24, 26 aredivided into two parts 24, 24" and 26' and 26" respectively connected bya smooth curve C, the portions 24' and 26' being adapted to function ina manner later to appear.

The dorsal surface 34 of the form attachment 20, note Figs. 3 and 5, ispreferably convexly .curved for the purpose of improving the drape of agarment hung over it upon the hanger.. All corners and ends such as 22,22", of the body portion 22 are also preferwood, plastic or metal or anyother such relatively rigid material as desired. While the inherentresilience of the integral fins 24, 26 is sufficient to hold thisshoulder pad or form attachment in place, I prefer to also provide arelatively short transverse horizontal slot 36 adjacent the central baseportion of the body 22, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, whereby the inner endportions of the fins 24, 26 are separated not only from each other butfrom the base 22 for a short portion of their over all length. Thesmaller dimension of portions 24" and 26" increases the resilience ofsuch portions as will be ap- The slots 28 and 36, as shown in Fig. 5,are also slightly less in width than the diameter of the Wire 30 of thecoat hanger. The height of the fins 24, 26 is preferably suificient forthem to embrace and be supported by a portion of a downwardly curved end38 of the wire hanger 32, as shown in Fig. 4. In the operation ofapplying the form attachment 20 to a wire garment hanger, the fins snapon and off of the wire and the attachment is securely retained inposition by virture of the resilience and spacing of the fins asexplained above.

In Fig. 4 one form attachment 20 i shown in dashed line extendedposition 20'. In this extended position of the form attachment the coathanger is adapted to conveniently support a large oversize garment andto hold same draped properly thereover.

In Figs. 6 to 9, I show a modified form 120 of the coat hanger formattachment. Here the attachment 120 comprises an elongated body 122 andan attached pair of distal fins 124, 126 having substantiallyperpendicular flanges 125 and 127 respectively. The fins 124 and 126 areplaced adjacent each other along the longitudinal axis of the base 122and the flanges 125 and 127 are cemented or otherwise attached to thebase 122 as shown. The outer adjacent edges of the fins 124, 126 may beslightly bevelled to form a V-notch 129 to facilitate placing theattachment 120 over the wire bar 139 of a coat hanger 132. The fins 124,126 are also of a height sufiicient to embrace and be supported by aportion of the end curve 138 of the wire hanger 132 to prevent turningor rotation of the attachment on the wire bar 130 in use. This form ofmy invention is shown as cut from a relatively stiff laminatedcorrugated paperboard and in production may be easily stamped out, bentand assembled very economically. In the stamping operation, the body 122may also be formed with a convex dorsal surface 134. The paperboard ispreferably of the type having two hard face laminae separated by acorrugated reenforcing lamina all firmly adhered together. Othermaterials obviously may be used for this purpose but the paperboardshown provides a very economical structure. In Fig. 9, the attachment120 is shown in place on a wire hanger 132.

In Figs. 10 to 12 I show a second modification of my coat hanger formattachment. This attachment 220 is also shown as formed of laminatedhard paperboard having two smooth hard face laminae and a core lamina ofcorrugated reenforcing paperboard 221. In forming this modification thebody 222 is cut or stamped out of a suitable sheet of the abovedescribed reenforced paperboard and a mitered slot or groove 240 isprovided in one surface lamina 219. This slot is formed by obliquelycutting said surface lamina and the attached intermediate reenforcinglayer or core along spaced parallel lines 244, 246 leaving therebetweena narrow plane strip or tongue 242 which is wider at its attached basethan at its top. This tongue 242 is then pressure rolled or otherwisecompressed downwardly with the intermediate reenforcing layer or corefirmly against the inner face of the lamina 221 which may be formed atthe .same time wtih a convex dorsal outer surface 234 leaving themitered slot or grooves having bevelled sides 248, 250 for a purpose nowto be explained.

A separable attaching strip member 210 having spaced side fins 224, 225and a base providing oppositely extending basal flanges 226, 227 isshown as formed from a single sheet of metal or other resilient sheetmaterial. The attaching strip member 210 is thus generally U- shaped incross section with the spring fins 224, 225 spaced to provide a wirereceiving slot 228 therebetween. In use the body 222 and the fincarrying strip member 210 may be shipped separately to save space and tobe assembled by the user. The user may then take this attaching stripmember and insert the flanged end 252 thereof below the bevelled edges248, 250 at the outer open end of the slot or groove 240, and push saidmember 210 into the slot toward and to the .closed .end thereof as shownin full lines in Fig. 10. The end 252 of the metal strip will thusthread its way into and push aside portions of the intermediatereenforcing lamina 221 so that when fully inserted the attaching stripmember 210 is firmly secured .in the body .222. As above stated thespace between the base of the spring fins 224, 225 is substantiallyequal to the diameter of a coat hanger wire and the resilience thereofenables them to firmly grip such coat hanger Wire. The fins also extendout normal to the base 222 a distance sufficient to embrace a curvedposition of the wire coat hanger to support same firmly against turningon the wire.

In all forms of the invention it is to be noted that the body 22, 122and 222 tapers outwardly from a relatively narrow inner end portion asat 22" adapted to be adjacent the collar of a garment on the hanger to awider end portion as 22 adapted to support the shoulder portions of agarment.

The form attachment of my invention as shown and described herein iseasily and economically manufactured i.e., the form shown in Figs. 1 to5 may be molded or cast, or it may be turned on a lathe such as may beused for turning gun stocks or the like, or it may be milled in anysuitable manner. If it is milled, the slots 28 and 36 may be milled atthe same time. However, the slots 28 and 36 may be sawed or milled in asuitable previously formed blank.

The forms shown in Figs. 6 to 12 may be stamped or otherwise cut fromany suitable material such as the reenforced paperboard shown andarethus so economical to make that they may be used as give-away items.Such items may bear advertising matter and be dispensed by dry cleanersalong with the wire coat hangers usually supplied with the cleanedgarments.

It should be evident from the above that I have produced a formattachment for a wire coat hanger which may be easily applied and whichwill remain attached to such hanger in desired position thereon and willimprove the drape and prevent creasing of a garment hung thereover.

Various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A form attachment for the upper bar of a wire coat hanger comprisingan elongated generally planar body portion having a pair of resilientdistal fins projecting outwardly therefrom and substantially normalthereto and extending along the longitudinal axis thereof for asubstantial portion of the length of said body portion, said fins beingspaced apart less than the thickness of the wire of the wire coat hangerto which the attachment is to be applied to form a slot and beingadapted to frictionally engage and embrace the upper wire bar and .aportion of the curved end of a wire coat hanger to retain the attachmentthereon, said body portion being formed of laminated corrugated paperboard, and said fins being laminated corrugated paper angle members witheach angle member having one side attached to the body portion and theother side being in face to face relation with the sides of the opposingangle member to form the slot.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the mating outer edges ofthe projecting sides are bevelled to facilitate attachment over a wirebar of a wire coat hanger.

3. A form attachment for the upper bar of a wire coat hanger comprising,an elongated generally planar body portion formed of relatively stiffmateral, said body portion having a pair of longitudinally extendingrelatively resilient distal fins along the longitudinal axis thereof andprojecting outwardly therefrom and extending inwardly from the outer endthereof for a substantial portion of said body, said fins being spacedapart less than the thickness of the wire of the wire coat hangertowhich the attachment is to be applied to form a slot to resilientlygrip the upper bar of a wire coat hanger, and said fins being of ,adepth to embrace the upper bar and a portion of the curved end of a wireCoat hanger to retain the attachment in position on such hanger andpermit longitudinal adjustment thereon.

4- The structure a ording to claim 3 wh r in th tics comprise a pair ofspaced angles formed of corrugated paper.

5. The structure according to claim 3 wherein the base portion isprovided with a longitudinal groove and the fins comprise a U-shapedchannel having a pair of flanges 5 on the base thereof engaged in thegroove.

765,331 Batts July 19, 1904 10 6 McDonald Mar. 16, 1937 Guttridge Aug.31, 1937 Kinney Nov. 30, 1943 Humphreys Oct. 10, 1950 Kivett Apr. 1,1952 MacSpadden May 13, 1952 MacKenzie May 24, 1955 Mills Jan, 21, 1958

